Built as the centerpiece of HemisFair ’68, San Antonio’s world’s fair, this 622-foot-high tower is still the tallest structure in San Antonio and has become a favorite symbol for the city. Six levels of publicly accessible restaurant and observation decks rotate at the rate of one revolution per hour atop the cylindrical, slip-formed concrete spindle. HemisFair’s theme was the Confluence of Civilizations in the Americas. In keeping with the theme, around the tower’s base Tom Stell, a member of the Dallas Nine group of regional artists, created six glass mosaic panels depicting Indians of North and South America. Tower facilities were renovated in 2006 under Ford, Powell & Carson.

Held in conjunction with San Antonio's 250th birthday, the HemisFair, San Antonio's 1968 World's Fair, attracted more the 6.3 million visitors. The theme of the fair was the "The Confluence of Civilizations in the Americas," and it sparked a massive transformation in the River Walk area. Out of the original structures, 24 have been preserved.